Preston North End’s torrid time with managers took a fresh twist today as a former Manchester City figure emerged as a key candidate for the role.
The Lilywhites were beaten 2-0 on the opening weekend of the season, which meant Ryan Lowe was relieved of his duties. Former Liverpool midfielder Mike Marsh stepped up as caretaker, but after another defeat, he too left the club. Swansea put three past the hapless North End without reply, pushing them into the bottom two in the embryonic Championship table.
Crawley boss Scott Lindsay had been linked with the club, but now there’s a new name in the frame: former Manchester City Development coach Brian Barry-Murphy. The 46-year-old left the Premier League champions over the summer, citing a need for a fresh challenge, which many took to mean a shot at senior club management.
“I will always be thankful for the opportunity to work at such a great club,” he wrote on social media via Training Ground Guru. “However, I believe I have taken the role as far as possible and feel ready for a new challenge.”
The Lancashire Evening Post suggests Barry-Murphy is on the six-man shortlist to replace Lowe, and that he is interested in the role. Known for playing expansive football, he has coached in the senior ranks before, but spent an ill-fated time at Rochdale, overseeing relegation from League One in 2021.
As a player, the Cork-born defensive midfielder moved to Preston in 1999, spending four years there but making just 21 senior appearances. He later passed through Sheffield Wednesday before landing at Bury, where he spent the bulk of his career. In six years, he played more than 200 times for the Shakers before winding up his playing career at Spotland with Rochdale.
Preston do not have a midweek fixture to contend with, but they do have a big game at the weekend. Recently relegated Luton Town are the visitors to Deepdale before a tricky cup tie against Harrogate Town on the 27th.
Writer’s View
Barry-Murphy is a respected coach, but he’s been working with the very best young players in the country. Can that blueprint transfer to senior football? There may be more opportunities for elite loan players at Preston, but the Championship is unforgiving, and Preston’s squad looks weak.
If Barry-Murphy is seeking a senior job, he might even be better waiting to see which clubs in League One pull the trigger first. Somewhere like Barnsley, a big club expecting to do well but perhaps lacking direction might be a better bet. We’re not saying Darrell Clarke is going anywhere, but it would be easier for him to resurrect a sleeping giant with a decent squad, as they’d be likely more receptive to his football.
Preston needs someone used to working on a tight budget, perhaps someone who can understand the scrap of lower league football and apply that underdog method to Preston’s fight for survival. That’s surely still Scott Lindsay.
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